Why Oppong Nkrumah has warned that Ghana's new cybersecurity bill is 'dangerous'

The Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has raised concerns about the draft cybersecurity bill the government seeks to introduce.

According to him, the draft, which he says he has reviewed, could pose serious dangers to the country in terms of criminalising free speech and dissent.

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Oppong Nkrumah explained that the draft bill seeks to target individuals who, through their online platforms, make remarks or comments that may be deemed unfavorable, offensive, or incisive.

In a video shared by TV3 on Monday, October 27, 2025, whilst addressing journalists, the lawmaker stated that he isn’t surprised by what he has reviewed in the draft bill so far, linking it to an earlier remark by President John Dramani Mahama about tracking the IP addresses of individuals who post hate comments online.

“What we are seeing appears to be a draft, and that they want to consult on that draft. From what I have seen as a former information minister, this draft is dangerous, though it's not surprising. Let me explain why it's not surprising, because I think the president first announced it, that they are going to use the national security apparatus to go after people who make comments on social media that they consider, for whatever reason, whether it's under hate speech or it's under whatever they consider unfavorable.

“They're going to search for your IP addresses and then get the security apparatus to go after you. The president himself said it. So, it's not surprising that his minister is now following up with a draft bill with such wild provisions in there. What is dangerous about it is that over the last set of decades, various countries have been moving away from criminalising speech,” he said.

Oppong Nkrumah, also a former Minister of Information, stated that the draft bill could result in people being prosecuted and jailed based on what they share in their chat groups, which he believes could infringe on individuals’ freedom and privacy.

“… Publication of false news with the intent of causing fear and panic is one of those laws that actually still needs to be repealed. Instead of repealing that to advance democratic freedoms, the government is now seeking, through this draft that it wants to consult on, to enact legislation that will now even ensure that when you put up a comment in your chat groups and they find it offensive according to their criteria, you could go to jail.

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“I think it's a very dangerous encroachment into the area of free speech. The government needs to tread cautiously, and I am hopeful that when the consultations start, the government will see wisdom in backtracking and ensuring that, instead of seeking to further criminalise speech, even the remnant laws on criminalisation of speech should be repealed,” he added.

The new Cybersecurity Bill updates the 2020 Act to address threats like AI scams, blockchain risks, and online harassment of vulnerable groups.

Critics have, however, raised concerns that it gives the Cyber Security Authority powers to access data, seize devices, or freeze assets for up to 180 days without notifying targets, which they see as excessive surveillance.

Watch the video below:



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